1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of food dishes for pets and other animals, specifically to a two-part pet dish having a central tapered post construction that provides a secure and non-wobbling fit of top and bottom members together while they are connected, but which permits easy separation thereof when needed to clean the upper food-holding member. Top and bottom members are substantially similar in diameter dimension so that the animal does not have access to the contents of the bottom member. It is contemplated for the bottom member to hold a fluid or viscous material that prevents crawling insects, particularly ants, from gaining access to food in the top member. Applications may include, but are not limited to, use with cat food, dog food, and other pet food that is typically placed on a floor or ground surface accessible by crawling insects, and food for puppies and other animals that is made continuously available during the day or night for on-demand consumption.
2. Description of the Related Art
In domestic and other settings, food is often left out in a dish for animals for extended periods of time, so that they have food continuously available to them and are able to eat when hungry. Although doing so provides a benefit for the animals, it often attracts crawling insects and other undesirable pests. In areas where crawling insects are abundant, they can reach the food within minutes and before the animal can completely consume it. Further, even when it is not intended for a food dish to remain out for extended periods of time, after the animal consumes the food and before the person providing the food can return to collect the food dish, crawling insects can be attracted to the food or food residue in the dish and additional time must be taken to remove the crawling insects from the food dish before it is stored for a next use. To overcome these problems, many insect-resistant and insect proof pet dishes are known. One dish of interest is the pet food bowl in U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,299 to Craft (2005). It discloses a double level food bowl having three parts, a lower water container with a central recess on its top side, an upper food dish smaller in diameter than the water container and having a central recess on its bottom side, the upper food dish also having an indentation that provides a void space for an animal to drink water from the lower container, and an elongated central post that is configured to be inserted into the two recesses for support of the upper food dish above the water container and sufficiently separated the upper food dish from the lower water container so that the animal using it can gain access to the water. The present invention is different from the Craft invention for several important reasons. The present invention has fewer parts, with its supporting tapered post securely fixed to its bottom member. The tapered construction of the present invention post is self-adjusting and permits quick release of the top member from the bottom member. Separation of the Craft food dish from its water container either requires the disassembly of connecting threaded parts, which is time consuming, or in the alternative requires one to handle two or more of the three separable pieces without spilling the water in the lower container. Further, the structure of the Craft invention is more expensive to manufacture. In addition, the upper and lower members of the present invention are purposefully similar in diameter dimension, and the tapered post connected to the bottom member of the present invention is purposefully short, to allow the upper member to block access of animals to the lower member's contents. Should an animal drink all of the water out of the Craft lower container, the ant proof capability of the Craft food dish is defeated. The lack of access to the contents of the bottom member in the present invention permits the use of a variety of insect resisting substances in the lower member, including oil and viscous materials. However, it is preferred that any substance used in the bottom member of the present invention be non-toxic to animals in the event that it be inadvertently upended. No other pet dish is known that functions in the same manner or provides all of the advantages of the present invention.